Raw Foundation Logo

I attended Raw Foundation’s Raw Food Chef Certification course in Vancouver BC last week. I wasn’t too sure what my expectations were but I will say they were most certainly exceeded.

The Raw Foundation is located at the Waterfall building in Vancouver BC. After a couple attempts at getting buzzed in, (the noise from the waterfall is a the level of a dull roar) I got the OK and made my way upstairs. The classroom setting was great; big windows, lots of light, a place for everyone to sit (well, nearly) and a clear view of our host and instructor, Janice Skoreyko.

The class started right on time which I noted and was pleased about. Each student had a little bowl of strawberry with cacao nibs to start plus a glass of lemon water with goji berries.  I was not the only male in attendance, there were two of us. Women made up the other 12 attendees. Janice started by welcoming the class and telling her story of how she became a raw food educator and lifestyle coach.

Little time was wasted in getting us something to taste, the first course of many was a Go Green Smoothie, aka The Energy Elixer. Processed in a Vitamix and made from raw banana, spinach, water, sea vegetables and dates, it was a yummy way to start the evening. We learned that icy cold smoothies can diminish the digestive process by 40%! Our energy elixer was room temp.

Next up came One Bite Brownies. I think these were the highlight of the evening for me. It was at this point where I started to realize that a lot of raw food dishes are ridiculously easy to make and take very little time to prepare. Please see my video post to get the recipe and see how they’re made. So easy they should almost be called One Minute, One Bite Brownies.

Throughout the evening Janice gave incredible value in terms of knowledge and information. I scribbled furiously at times trying to document all the great stuff. Having a background in cooking and a basic understanding of nutrition allowed me to absorb all that was said though I could tell some people in the class felt a bit overwhelmed.

Do you know the difference between agave syrup and agave nectar? Janice does and now I do too.

At Raw Foundation they like to have dessert first and next up was the Date Nut Torte. I was on trying this dish that I realized the food Janice prepared was not only simple and quick but absolutely delicious as well!

Raspberries are healthy prostate food.

Get this – Cacao butter is a fabulous moisturizer and has an spf of 20. Au naturale!

Fettuccine Alfredo

Mock Salmon Pate. Also know as the Save the Salmon dish. As with everything prepared, this dish is 100% raw organic and vegan. The salmon flavour is created using dulse flakes. This was my favorite savory dish of the evening and, once again, so simple to prepare. Throw ingredients into food processor, blast away and….done. Yum. We ate the pate wrapped in collard leaves. So delicious and nutritious.

Did you know that avocados take 9 months to fully mature. Think they might be good for hormonal balance? You bet!

Other dishes prepared and tasted included: Stuffed portabella mushroom caps, Gucamole, Broccoli soup (amazing), Fettuccine Alfredo (yes, raw), and  Angel Hair pasta and Marinara sauce. All dishes were prepared using either a food processor, a vitamix blender or a spiral slicer.

Janice Skoreyko is a fantastic teacher and coach with a wealth of knowledge that she’s so happy to share. All who attended felt that Janice performed outstandingly, myself included.

Would I recommend taking the course? For sure. While technically a raw food chef certification course, anyone with a remote interest in healthy eating would benefit from taking this course. At $199 for four hours I would say the knowledge and value you get, not to mention a full belly, is worth it.

The good:

-Great food

-Great atmosphere

-Tons of info

-Clear, simple demonstrations

-Awesome instructor

The bad:

-Waterfall noise drowning out the buzzer intercom

-A lot of info for a beginner to absorb

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Interested in signing up? Visit the Raw Foundation Website HERE

- Kris McPhee, Raw Food Certified Chef, Vancouver BC.